Choosing Your Tools


Using the answers to the questions already outlined, the next step in the process is to determine what tools you need to produce the client's site.

From your conversation with the client, you know that they do not have a website already, so you need to plan the structure of the site and develop a layout. This process can be done with good old-fashioned pen and paper or by using some of the diagramming tools found in Fireworks 8.

After you have a basic layout developed, you need to create the underlying graphics that can be inserted into the pages. Using Fireworks, you can create the company's new logo and any navigation buttons that are needed for the site.

The client also mentioned that they would like to have an About Us page that has a slideshow of photos of the employees, facilities, and so forth. Using Flash, the slideshow can be created with an XML document that allows the client to easily update the slideshow if a new employee is hired, someone leaves the company, or a new facility is acquired.

Finally, because they hope to grow their inventory of motorcycles continually, the details about each motorcycle for sale will be stored in an Access database, which will be connected to their ColdFusion-based web pages. To accomplish this, we can use the Developer's edition of ColdFusion, along with Dreamweaver, to produce and test the dynamic pages.

You may have noticed that the project conveniently uses each of the programs included in the Macromedia Studio. As you progress through the chapters, you will get a better understanding of the role that each program plays in the project lifecycle and why the combination of the five programs makes the Studio suite so powerful.



Special Edition Using Macromedia Studio 8
Special Edition Using Macromedia Studio 8
ISBN: 0789733854
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2003
Pages: 337

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